Creative Collective LLC connects creativity, community, and commerce across the North Shore. As a collective of creative professionals, small businesses, organizations, and individuals we coordinate a series of events, traditional and non-traditional marketing initiatives, resources, and best practices to define why creativity matters in all aspects of life.

Growth

Opportunity

Collaboration

Creative Collective is a business program that provides opportunities for small businesses, entrepreneurs, non profits, organizations and individuals that are looking for a more modern and creative approach to business growth and brand awareness.

Our partners benefit from our ability to layer services that reach far beyond traditional marketing and business programs. Together we share a vision that thriving arts, culture and creative sectors makes the world a better place and support the sustainability of our communities and businesses.

Together we connect creativity, commerce and the community.

As a member partner, you contribute to the growing creative economy while enjoying access to the growing Creative North Shore/Creative Collective audiences comprised of culture advocates, creatives, and supporters of the arts community.

@BEYONDWALLSLYNN

CREATIVITY ABOUNDS

Creative North Shore, the marketing platform powered by the collective, celebrates and supports all things creative economy, arts and culture. Original content, photography, videography, stories and more all shared across various online and social platforms.

The collective is also supported by our community members. Our community members not only support our mission of connecting creativity, community and commerce they also save at some of the best businesses in the area.

Just a few examples of businesses that offer promotions as part of this exciting program.

CREATIVE COLLECTIVE PROUDLY PARTNERS WITH

Beyond the business membership, the collective partners with leaders across the North Shore to produce initiatives, events and happenings that influence and engage the community and enhance the dialogue about the importance of arts, culture and creativity.

SALEM JAZZ AND SOUL FESTIVAL

WHY

Joey Phoenix films at Circle of Stitches in Salem MA. as part of a series of retail promotions for the city of Salem. By using professional creatives to showcase creative industries there is a certain synergy and creative energy that makes customers want to invest in both the establishment but also the artist responsible for the promotional materials. All of this then supports the local economy and support the cities mission to support it's small businesses.

Middle class creative workers are an essential part of the Massachusetts economy:

Half of all of New England’s creative jobs are in Massachusetts

Of the 502K jobs in Massachusetts, 33,500 are in creative fields like art and design workers, media and communication workers, entertainers and performers, photographers, and musicians (and so many more!).

¼ of all creative workers and ⅓ of artists are self-employed, whereas only 10% of New England’s overall workforce is!

We value the importance and value of creativity:

Misconceptions about the value of creativity abound. Creatives are asked to create for “exposure” instead of being paid for their work. We’re here to remind Creatives their work is valuable and that there are ways to be paid for their creations. Of course some forms of exposure are key to any Creative’s growth within their field, but there is a point at which being paid for one’s work supersedes gaining a social media following or growing one’s email list - and we’re here to help.

Artist Caleb Neelon (@calebneelonart) on scene during the Beyond Walls Mural Festival in Lynn MA. This month long mural festival has been a source of pride, economic development and change for a community chock full of creative energy.

Pop Up owners Jenn and Erik from Goodnight Fatty work with multiple other creative organizations on a regular basis to activate spaces and partner often with other culinary arts innovators utilizing creative placemaking, pop ups and the spirit of true creative entrepreneurship.

Creativity makes the world a better place to live, work, and play:

Creativity is an essential part of a healthy ecosystem. Creatives to play a key role in determining where we all want to live, work, and visit. The best places in Massachusetts - or anywhere - are those destinations with creative aspects to their businesses, public art displays, arts festivals, and other creative avenues. We help connect Creatives find the best path to displaying their creative works - and finding ways to financially support their creative works.

The world of Arts & Culture needs support:

Arts & Culture are essential to a functioning society because they play a vital role in enriching our lives and challenging our perspectives. We’ve built a Creative Collective to help support local Creatives find ways to build support around their creations - from local play companies, to lighting and behind the scenes work, to writers, to graphic design, whatever their Creative ventures are, we’ve built a network for creative ideas to flow and grow.

Hundreds of artists, performers and creatives travel into Boston annually to support the organization Mass Creative and take to the streets of Boston to explain why #artsmatter and have important discussions with local leaders at the State House. The Collective was on hand and proud to march with so many talented leaders!

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TESTIMONIAL

When developing our company, Intramersive, we were faced with the issue of finding a way to describe our work in an emerging market unfamiliar to Salem, the North Shore, and even Boston. We immediately looked to the Creative Collective for advice, and got far more than we had ever anticipated. When it came to marketing our first show, Daemonologie, Creative Collective worked tirelessly to help us get our show information out to potentially interested attendees. From attending our rehearsals to have photo shoots with our actors, to promoting us on websites, blogs, and social media to boost our credibility online – Creative Collective gave us the boost most new companies could only wish for.

Creative Collective has been an essential ally to FunDead Publications. In 2016, FunDead was a brand-new, budding Salem publishing company with a very small, but loyal following. Creative Collective was key in shining a light on us to their many local, and not-so-local, followers. We were able to expand our audience by utilizing the Creative Collective social media platforms to reach new readers. Thanks to Creative Collective, we added hundreds of new followers to our own social media and saw exponential growth in our writing submission numbers.

“I am so appreciative of Creative Collective and all the opportunities they create for local artists like myself. Their team of inspiring individuals consistently thinks outside the box, and they do such an amazing job of fostering the art culture in the area. I’ve been a native of the North Shore all my life, and I can’t help but wonder what we did without Creative Collective all those years. The city has become a hot spot for creative culture, and we have the hard-working, talented people at Creative Salem to thank for much of that. So thanks, Creative Collective. Thank you for supporting art, for supporting music, for supporting the community of thinkers and dreamers and idealists here in Salem. You’re the best.”

“As a historian starting up a new non-profit in the city, the help and support I’ve received from John & Creative Collective has been invaluable. I honestly believe that my organization wouldn’t be as far along as it is without a leg-up from Creative Collective. CC has also been a supporter of my freelance music career. Through them, I’ve been connected to people and places and booked actual paying gigs. CC is what creatives in the city have always needed but never had. It’s a whole new game now.”

With their resources, connections, creative spirit, and unwavering support, Creative Collective has been invaluable to the growth and development of the Massachusetts Poetry Festival in Salem. Their outreach is phenomenal. Poets and writers typically work alone, so the festival brings together this community for a glorious weekend of words in Salem. John Andrews and his team knows the landscape—digitally and locally. They have the strategies and skills to build and maintain a diverse and inclusive following, and to help a grassroots org like ours achieve national prominence. We wouldn’t be where we are today without the innovation and creative vision that Creative Collective brings to the table. Every. Single. Time.

“ Creative Collective has been outstanding in helping our new fitness facility reach our potential customers throughout the community. They are by far the best investment we have made for growing our business and our relationships. If you’re trying to grow a business in the North Shore I highly recommend you work with Creative Collective. “

I am over the moon to be a part of the Creative Collective with both my small businesses: Rebel Yell Yoga, and The Chaos Factor. My business partner, Lauren Recchia and I cannot say enough good things about the staff and the mission! We put together our first event with Creative Collective for April and the event sold out in less than 24 hours. Its so amazing to be part of a creative and supportive community!

ESSEX COUNTY CREATES

As part of the Essex County Community Foundations 'Creative County Initiative" we are leading a project to build the first county wide events calendar and online platform.

A regional online website and calendar will allow artists and organizations to promote their events and activities directly to the general public. This platform will foster resource sharing and communication across the arts community: public art forums, resource tools, classifieds and more.